Portsmouth boss explains thinking behind move for Newcastle midfielder Issac Hayden

The Blues announced the arrival of the Newcastle United midfielder on Friday evening as he became the Fratton Park club’s second incoming of the January transfer window behind fellow loanee Rob Atkinson.

Hayden has signed on loan for the rest of the season and is expected to make his Pompey debut against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park next Wednesday night, having not been registered in time to feature against Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup.

The midfielder will add much needed competition in the engine room, with Mousinho relying heavily on Freddie Potts and Andre Dozzell in recent weeks.

But according to the Blues head coach, he’ll offer much more than that. Spelling out exactly what the 29-year-old will bring to the team, Mousinho told told the club website: ‘Isaac is a central midfielder who has a wealth of experience in the Premier League and Championship.

‘He’s extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet and is also very strong defensively, possessing a lot of the attributes we were looking for.

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‘But he’s also a leader both on and off the pitch, so we’re delighted to be able to add him to the squad for the rest of the season.’

Hayden has just four games under his belt this season. Two of those came for Newcastle’s under-21 side, with the other two coming during the last international break when he twice lined up for Jamaica against the USA.

He last played for the Toon first team in December 2021 - more than three years ago and after 171 appearances for the Premier League side.

Last term, Hayden helped QPR survive the drop from the Championship when he arrived on loan during the 2023 January transfer window. It’s hoped he’ll have the same impact at Fratton Park over the second half of this season, with Pompey currently 21st in the standings.

The Blues have also been linked with Preston North End midfielder Ryan Ledson and Hearts’ Cammy Devlin in the past 24 hours. In terms of outgoings, Elias Sorensen has departed after five months at Fratton Park, while Sammy Silvera is heading back to parent club Middlesbrough following a frustrating stint on the south coast.